Cooking and food-sterilizing apparatus.



A. J. VAN STOCKUM. COOKING AND FOOD STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIQN FILED OCT-18.1913.

1,228,748, Patented Apr. 24,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- A VAN STOCKUM anwmfio z A. J. VANSTOCKUM.

COOKING AND FOOD STERILIZI NG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1a. 1913.

1,223,748. Patented Apr. 24,1917.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VAN STOCKUM Wa'fnmou A v amen (m kQMSMUWMQ ABRAHAM JOHANNES VAN STOCKUM,OF AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

COOKING AND FOOD-STERILIZING APPARATUS.

. Specification of'Letters Patent.

Application filed October 18, 1913. Serial No. 795,904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM JOHANNES VAN S'rooxrmr, subject of the Queenof the Netherlands, residing at Amsterdam, Netherlands, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Cooking and Food- SterilizingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide apparatus whereby food can becooked and sterilized by means of saturated steam which is at a pressurefully equal to that of the atmosphere, and at a temperature fully equalto that of boiling water at the said pressure. One advantage aimed at bythis means is to enable food to be cooked more quickly and cheaply thanin steam-cookers in which it is surrounded by steam at a pressure andtemperature below the pressure and temperature of saturated steam. Incooking apparatus heretofore known always the top side of the bell inwhich the foods are steamed is directly exposed to the atmosphere. So aradiation of heat and consequently a fall of temperature, condensationand fall of pressure will occur within the bell, so that the pressurecorresponding to the temperature of the developing steam is lower thanthe pressure corresponding to the same temperature of saturated steam.The bell of the apparatus according to the invention, however, is fullysubmerged in the boiling water, so that its'top side can practically notradiate heat. Another advantage aimed at is to enable food, wh chabsorbs a large proportion of water during the cooking, for examplerice, to be cooked without the addition of water and to be obtained,when finished, in a state of adequate dryness, the right amount ofmoisture having been absorbed by the food from the saturated steam.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 1 to A of theaccompanying drawing, in Which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of theapparatus,

Fig. 2 a vertical section of the inner part thereof, inverted,

Fig. 3 a sectional view showing part of the apparatus detached, and

Fig. A a sectional view showmg part of the apparatus in course of beingassembled.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showlng a modification.

The apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a vessel 1 open at the top,and within this vessel an inverted vessel 2, which has a tubular neck 1at the top, closed by a plug 3. Between the walls of the vessels 1 and 2there is an annular space 5, and the vessel 2 is fixed in the vessel 1by means of lugs 1 secured within the mouth of the vessel 1 andcooperating with the edge of the flange 10 and notches 10 therein toform a bayonet joint, its rim at the bottom being clear of the floor ofthe vessel 1. The vessels 1 and 2 have handles 6 and 7 respectively, andwhen the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1 the handles 6 and 7 ateach side he closely together, so that they can be gripped collectively.To the top of the vessel 2 is fixed a circular wall 8, having holes 9 atthe bottom and a flange 10 at the top, the flange 10 resting, as shownin Fig. 1, on a ledge 11 formed by the wall of the vessel 1. By turningthe vessel 2 the flange 10 is engaged with the vessel 1 and thus fixesthe vessel 2 in the vessel 1. The flange 10 also extends inward from thewall 8, and is curved downward over the space within the wall, in orderto prevent water from splashing out of the said space. For a similarpurpose the wall of the vessel 1 is curved inward at 12, above the ledge11. The vessel 2 has an enlargement at its lower part, and its wall isprovided With holes 13. A perforated concavoconvex cover plate 14 isfitted into the vessel 2, near the bottom thereof, and has a dependinghandle 15 fixed to its concave underside, the whole of the said handlelying above the level of the bottom rim of the vessel 2. The plate 14 isfixed by means of a bayonet joint 14 to the ledge 19 formed where theenlargement of the vessel 2 begins.

The handles 7, which are fixed to the flange 10, are bent outward, sothat they are adapted to form feet, with a wide base, for supporting thevessel 2 when the same is removed from the vessel 1 and inverted, asshown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows the cover plate 14: detached from the vessel 2 and restingon a temporary support or foot 17, which has holes 18 in its wall and aslot at the top, for entrance of the handle 15. The cover plate supportsa cooking vessel 16.

Fig. 1 shows the inverted vessel 2 placed over the vessel 16 andattached to the plate 14, the attachment being effected by turning thevessel 2 to engage the bayonet joint, while the foot 17 is held fast byhand, the

Patented Apr. 24:, 1917.

holes 18 enabling a firm grip to be obtained. The inverted vessel 2,with the vessel 16 therein, is then lifted into the vessel 1.

I will now describe the manner of using the apparatus as applied to thecooking of rice.

Assuming the parts to be assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the vessel 2 islifted out of the vessel 1 and turned into the position shown in Fig. 2.The cover 14 is then removed, and the rice is placed in the vessel 2,whereupon the cover is replaced. The vessel 1 is filled with water toapproximately the level indicated by the line I-I in Fig. 1, and thevessel 2, inverted, is returned to the vessel 1, the plug 3 being thenremoved. Water rises in the vessel 2, and mingles with the rice. Theapparatus is then heated, and the rice is boiled in the water for about5 minutes, whereby it is thoroughly washed, the grains being still toohard to absorb dust and the like. The air over the rice is expelled, inthe course of the boiling, by steam, and the plug 3 is then re-inserted,to make a steam-tight oint. lVhen this has been done the steam-pressurein the vessel 2 rises and eXpels water from the vessel into the space 5,the water rising to approximately the level indicated by the line IIII,so that the vessel 2 is entirely surrounded by boiling water, and nocondensation of steam can take place in the vessel. The pressure in thevessel 2 is equal to atmospheric pressure plus the pressure of the watercolumn extending from the holes 13 to the level TIII, so that thetemperature in the vessel 2 exceeds the normal boiling point, and therice is thus quickly cooked under conditions which render it morewholesome and better flavored than rice cooked at the ordinarytemperature.

Other foods are cooked in a similar manner, the treatment being varied,of course, according to their nature, in regard to the length of theperiod of boiling prior to insertion of the plug 3, and so on. If thefood is in a liquid state, or is a vegetable or the like which can bemore conveniently cooked in the vessel 16, the latter is placed in thevessel 2 in the manner described. Jars of preserves and the like mayalso be placed on the cover 14 in the same way.

Fig. 5 shows a modification wherein the inner, inverted vessel,designated 2 has no cover at the bottom and is supported in the outervessel, designated 1 by means of handles 23 which rest on the rim of thevessel 1 and are engaged therewith by means of bayonet oints. The neck 4of the vessel 2 is fitted with a valve 22, which is closed by hand toretain steam in the vessel. The vessel .2 is inverted over a tripod 21in the vessel 1 On this tripod are placed the vessels containing thefood to be cooked; Fig. 5 shows three such vessels, designated 20,placed one upon the other. These vessels 20 may be perforated orimpert'orate, according to the nature of the food and the treatmentwhich is required.

The action is the same as that of the form of devices shown in Figs. 1and 4, the water being forced, by steam trapped in the vessel 2 from thelevel I I to the level II II so that it entirely surrounds the vessel 2after the closing of the valve 22.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is 1. A steam-cooker and sterilizing appliancecomprising in combination an outer vessel, an inner inverted vessel, atubular neck rising from the top of said inner vessel, means for closingsaid tubular neck, and means for fixing said inner vessel in said outervessel whereby the bottom edge of said inner vessel is held clear of thefloor of said outer vessel, the wall of the latter rising above the topof the inner vessel.

2. A steam-cooker and sterilizing appli- I ance comprising incombination an outer vessel, an inner inverted vessel, a tubular neckrising from the top of said innervessel, means for closing said tubularneck, means for supporting food in said inverted vessel, and means forfixing said inner vessel in said outer vessel whereby the bottom edge ofsaid inner vessel is held clear of the floor of said outer vessel, thewall of the latter rising above the top of the inner vessel.

3. A stean1cooker and sterilizing appliance comprising in combination anouter vessel, an inner inverted vessel, a tubular neck rising from thetop of said inner vessel, means for closing said tubular neck, adetachable perforated cover at the lower part of said inverted vessel,and means for fixing said inner vessel in said outer vessel whereby thebottom edge of said inner vessel is held clear of the fioor of saidouter vessel, the wall of the latter rising above the top of the innervessel.

4. A steam-cooker and sterilizing appliance comprising in combination anouter vessel, an inner inverted vessel, a tubularneck arising from thetop of said inner vessel, means for closing said tubular neck,

a detachable perforated cover at the lower part of said inverted vessel,a pendent handle fixed to said cover, and means for fixing said innervessel in said outer vessel whereby the bottom edge oi said inner vesselis held clear of the floor of said outer vessel, the wall of the latterrising above the top of the inner vessel.

5. A steam-cooker and sterilizing appliance comprising in combination asingle outervessel, a single inner inverted vessel, a tubular neckrising from the top of said inner vessel, means for closing said tubular13c neck, a detachable perforated cover at the lower part of saidinverted vessel, and means for fixing said inner vessel in said outervessel whereby the bottom edge of said inner vessel is held clear of thefloor of said outer vessel, the wall of the latter rising above the topof the inner vessel.

6. A steam-cooker and sterilizing appliance comprising in combination anouter vessel, an inner inverted vessel, a detachable perforated cover atthe lower part of said inverted vessel, and means for fixing said innervessel in said outer vessel whereby the bottom edge of said inner vesselis held clear of the floor of said outer vessel, the wall of the latterrising above the top of the inner vessel.

7. A steam-cooker and sterilizing appliance comprising in combination anouter vessel, an inner inverted vessel, a tubular neck rising from thetop of said inner vessel, means for closing said tubular neck, adetachable perforated cover, and means for fixing said inner vessel insaid outer vessel whereby the bottom edge of said inner ves-' sel isheld clear of the floor of said outer vessel, the wall of the latterrising above the top of the inner vessel.

8. A steam-cooker and sterilizing appliance comprising in combination asingle outer vessel, a single inner inverted vessel; a tubular neckrising from the top of said inner vessel, means for closing said tubular&

neck, and means for fixing said inner vessel in said outer vesselwhereby the bottom edge of said inner vessel is held clear of the floorof said outer vessel, the wall of the latter rising above the top of theinner vessel.

9. In a steam cooker, the combination of a vessel open at the bottom andadapted to be placed inanother vessel; a perforated co-ver secured insaid open bottom by a bayonet joint connection; a handle disposed acrossthe lower face of the cover; and a foot adapted to support said coverwith the vessel secured thereto and provided with a slot adapted toreceive said handle.

10. In a steam cooker, the combination of a vessel open at the bottomand adapted to be placed in another vessel; a perforated cover securedin said open bottom by a bayonet joint connection; a handle disposedacross the lower face of the cover; a foot adapted to support said coverwith the vessel secured thereto and provided with a slot adapted toreceive said handle and an addi tional vessel open at the top and closedat the bottom resting on said cover.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ABRAHAM J OHANNES VAN STOGKUM. Witnesses:

THOMAS H. VERHAVE, P. HILDERNY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Fatents. Washington, I). C.

